Virtually Indistinguishable

This paper proposes that Systems Engineering and Product Lifecycle Management are closely related. In fact, the contention is that one of the threads that has led to the formation of Product Lifecycle Management is Systems Engineering. Product Lifecycle Management extends Systems Engineering and uses many of its methodologies and processes. However, this connection between these two areas has not gotten the proper attention from either industry or academia. Cross-pollinating Product Lifecycle Management and Systems Engineering would benefit both disciplines.. The paper is based on the author’s observation and work at large organizations with significant Systems Engineering disciplines, such as NASA, the United States’ Department of Defense, Boeing Corporation, Lockheed Martin, and others. The discrepancy between Systems Engineering claims of being involved in the entire product lifecycle versus the reality of Systems Engineering ending its involvement with the product at requirement verification informs the perspective of this paper.